Colombia participates in FITUR 2023 to showcase its tourism prospect

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Colombia will participate in one of the world’s most important tourism events, FITUR 2023, which will take place in Madrid, January 18-22, to demonstrate that the country is synonymous with life.

Colombia holds 10% of the planet’s biodiversity, ranks in first place for bird, butterfly, and orchid species diversity, and is the only country in South America with coastlines bordering two oceans. Its natural vastness lays the foundation for tourism-related products that honor life, which will be leveraged in the capital of Spain.

The organic architecture of the stand will mimic nature by means of triangular large format prints that will showcase Colombia’s sustainable destinations, highlighting respect for local populations and the way tourism boosts development. Visiting Colombia is like visiting six countries in one. The six major tourism regions are the Great Colombian Caribbean, the Eastern Andes, the Western Andes, the Macizo region, the Pacific region, and the Amazon/Orinoco region.

These regions and their landscapes will be shown on six screens, displaying their main features and attractions. In addition, information about the four indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco and Kankuamo will be projected because recently their ancestral system of knowledge was recognized by Unesco as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Simultaneously, there will be a cultural agenda including Colombian artists and traditional cuisine sampling, such as the renowned coffee grown by the National Federation of Coffee Growers.

The minister of Trade, Commerce and Tourism, Germán Umaña Mendoza, stated that “the country is committed to a tourism industry that respects the natural life and local communities, and that also establishes standards for the contemplation, comprehension and conservation of its biodiversity as well as the cocreation, connection and conservation of its cultural expressions”.

Colombia has set its sights on a tourism sector that is respectful of nature and local communities, that sets standards for watching, understanding, and preserving its biodiversity, as well as for co-creation, connecting with and preserving its ancestral customs and cultural expressions. To this end, a tourist guide manual will be launched during the fair, bringing attention to the Magdalena River and the Finding Encanto mini-series, as well as a kitesurfing guide developed by ProColombia and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism. In addition, four new artisan tourist routes led by Artesanías de Colombia will be presented.

“Colombia will demonstrate that it is a great destination for international travelers during Fitur 2023, the first global event of the year for all tourism professionals. Our purpose in this edition is to have as a flag the internationalization of the territories and of the MSMEs of our country that offer unique and transformative experiences, which also contribute to the construction of peace in the regions. Sustainability will be our letter of introduction thanks to the commitment we have made to the country to protect and conserve our wealth”, explained Carmen Caballero, the new president of ProColombia.

The following tour operators will comprise the delegation: Incotur SAS, Incentivamos Colombia, Phoenix, Panamericana de Viajes, Destino Colombia, Green Travel DMC, Kaishi Travel, Transfers & Tours, Contactos, Aviatur, Aventure, Colombian Journeys, Macuira Tours, Go & Travel, and All Reps. The hotels that will be represented at the fair are Decameron Hotels, Faranda Hotels, Almirante Hotel, Estelar Hotels, GHL Hotels, EM Hotels, Las Américas Hotel, Casa San Agustín Hostel, Dann Hotels, Isla del Encando Hotel, El Cielo Hotel, and Fenix Beach Cartagena. The agencies that will be present are Corporación Turismo Cartagena de Indias, Cali Valle Bureau, Medellin Bureau, Barranquilla Office of the Mayor, Cartagena Convention and Visitors Bureau, Instituto Distrital de Turismo de Bogota, Indetur Santa Marta, Idecut, and Popayan Office of the Mayor. Avianca Airlines will also be part of the delegation.

Tourism: a booming industry in Colombia

According to figures issued by Migración Colombia, analyzed by ProColombia, during the January-October 2022 period 3,558,670 non-resident, international travelers entered the country, indicating a 145.2% increase when compared to the same period in the year prior. And when compared with the same period in 2019—the pre-pandemic, baseline year—it means a recovery of 98.6%. According to the consultancy firm ForwardKeys, international air bookings to Colombia for the year-end season, November 2022 to January 2023, record an increase of 53.4% compared to the same period in the previous year.

Furthermore, airlines and destinations have demonstrated growing trust in Colombia by launching 33 new international flight routes, a 94% increase when compared with 2019—a year known as the best year for tourism in Colombia. These new routes are operated by 11 airlines, connecting 12 countries in the Americas and Europe (Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, United States, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and the Dominican Republic) with 8 cities in Colombia (Medellin, Bogotá, Cartagena, Cali, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Pereira, and Bucaramanga).

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